The Saintess in the Birdcage Knew Love, and Then She Fell Into Madness - Chapter 18: A Slight Resolve
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Chapter 18: A Slight Resolve
“Ah♪ how wonderful it is.”
She gazed into the void, letting out a heated breath.
There was nothing in that space–indeed, nothing was there, but beyond her gaze lay a door leading outside Aria’s world. A door she couldn’t open herself… A door that only he, only Laurent, could unlock.
“Laurent-kun… you’re telling me to go outside. To abandon everything I have done until now, all that I have devoted myself to… That’s what you mean, isn’t it?”
Aria laughed, wondering if she was misconstruing his words. But it didn’t matter to her.
Remaining in this room and maintaining the barrier had been her mission, an undisturbed duty, something she had felt no discomfort in continuing.
But now, the priorities for Aria were changing. Not that she considered abandoning her role unimportant, but there was one thought…
“I wonder if I can also… live happily, for myself?”
All her life, she had spent her time for others. Now, she wondered if it was okay to use that time for herself… No, more precisely, she wanted to spend it for the sake of a certain man. Laurent, who had brought her an encounter that should have been impossible. She wanted to dedicate her future to him, to be by his side, just as he had said he wanted to see the outside world with her.
“Really, what is he… There must be something special about him.”
Not understanding everything about Laurent was a trivial matter.
There would be plenty of time to learn more about him in the future… after all, the time spent together could be considered infinite.
“Still, it weighs on my conscience… If I leave here, the barrier enveloping the kingdom will disappear, and things won’t be as they were before.”
Even though her priorities had shifted, she found it hard to bid farewell so easily. Yet, that moment of decision was nearing its breaking point.
It seemed better to leave this place and spend her life freely with Laurent outside, seeking what anyone else would naturally enjoy, rather than ending her life here unchanged. This desire wasn’t strange at all.
“If I truly get to go outside, even if it’s unbelievable, I’d want an opportunity to explain everything.”
Well, after much consideration, it was time to shift her thoughts to him.
Lying on the bed she had used for years, Aria thought of Laurent, who was not present. She saw him as a very respectable man, yet she also knew his vulnerabilities. Because there was so much she didn’t know about him, she wanted to rely on him and protect him with her extraordinary magical skills, making herself a dependable presence in his life.
“Ah, how wonderful… truly.”
Although the future was still uncertain, Aria was convinced that a future with Laurent would surely come–no matter what obstacles or enemies appeared, they would be overcome.
Spreading her palms open, Aria’s magical power surged like a tempest.
“I wish to meet you again soon… Laurent-kun.”
Aria whispered, eagerly awaiting the moment she would see Laurent again.
▼▽
“…”
Ever since I started thinking about seeing the outside world with Aria-san, I found certain conversations unusually striking.
“No way, even if the monsters go berserk, we’re protected!”
“That’s right. With the magic shield, no invasion from other countries or more ferocious monsters can get in… Haha, other countries must be envious of us.”
“For us, the magic shield is something we’ve always had!”
“Wouldn’t it be great to taunt enemy nations from inside the magic shield, telling them they can’t get through to us?”
These opinions represented only a portion of the voices. Yet, despite this, I found myself unable to say anything to those who unquestionably believed in the absoluteness of the magic shield. After all, this was normal for them. To them, the magic shield that protected them without any cost was a given… I might have said the same had I not met Aria-san.
“Sigh…”
If only those around me were people who made me frown with such remarks, I would have executed my plans without a second thought. But the kingdom was filled with good people. People who devoted themselves to the nation, fought for it, and sacrificed their lives for the people… That’s why I thought–despite the presence of such people, perhaps it was I who was far worse for trying to dismantle the shield.
“Maybe… when weighing one against the many, the answer seems obvious… No, that can’t be right.”
Well, most people would probably point to the choice of the many. But I wanted to focus on the one–I wanted to free Aria-san from there and have her see more of the outside world. Even if it meant Aria thanking me and then leaving, that would be okay… Sad, but unavoidable.
“Alright, today I have work and I’ll see Aria-san… but if possible, I’d like to meet Philia-sama.”
Philia-sama… For some reason, I felt I could somehow have a conversation with her. Like our vibes matched… It was hard to explain, but I thought of subtly weaving it into our conversation to ask about the magic shield.
“It would be easier to just run away without worrying… But well, given my personality, that doesn’t seem likely.”
If it looked like there was no permission in sight, and if Philia-sama and the other royals held the same views as the people I had heard earlier about the magic shield, then maybe it was time to run away!
“Heh, just thinking about it is easy,” I chuckled to myself.